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durhamregion.com The Citizen August 24, 2017 3 Whitby scouts mark end of memorable journey Welcome back to the fourth and final update from the 5th Whitby Venturers. The group rolled into Expo 67 in Montreal on July 25, 1967, with a water escort from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and a seven-gun salute. Gerry Hicks wrote about the excitement felt by the young men on completing the epic paddle, "We can tell that they are going to be one hell of a bunch of busy bunch (sic), running helter skelter all over the damn place having a great time." Indeed, the scouts were busy from the time they docked at Expo until they returned home to Whitby. After lunch and a cursory exploration of Expo, the scouts returned to their canoes and paddled to Longueuil, Que., to meet the mayor. The scouts were given the flag of Longueuil as a gift and this meeting would act as the impetus for the official twinning of Longueuil with Whitby in 1969. The two municipalities still maintain this union. Up next was a visit to the Hotel de ville de Montreal. Unfortunately, the group did not have the opportunity to meet Mayor Jean Drapeau, famous for his support for the development of Expo 67, because he was entertaining French president Charles de Gaulle. The group was treated to a spread of refreshments, including "a large selection of liquid varying from Pepsi-Cola to champagne." After a whirlwind tour of Expo 67, the 5th Whitby Venturers and their leaders returned to Whitby by train on Friday, July 28, 1967. They were received at the train station in Oshawa by then-mayor of Whitby Desmond Newman and other members of council. The newspapers were there to capture the reunion of the young men with their families and to interview some of the scouts about the journey. Gerry Hicks, tireless author of The Canoe Diaries, went back to work at the Dominion grocery store the very next day. He told the local newspaper that he felt "all rested up and I'm looking forward to start working." The young men were impressed with Ottawa, Expo 67 and the generosity of the people they met along the way. Many of them also commented on their reception at Longueuil and Montreal as being particularly memorable. Finally, they commented on the sense of fellowship that developed among the group. Hicks wrote about this and the growth of the venturers in terms of maturity and self-discipline in several entries of his scrapbook. The venturers were honoured for their efforts on Aug. 5, 1967, during the County Town Carnival Parade. Their float stopped in front of the municipal building at 405 Dundas St. W., where they received special commemorative plaques from Mayor Newman. What an amazing adventure. I hope you've enjoyed following the canoe. Sarah Ferencz Whitby Public Library archivist Photo courtesy of the Whitby Public library OSHAWA -- The 5th Whitby Venturers with the flag of Longueuil, QC at the train station in Oshawa on their return from Expo 67.